1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to hostname resolution. In particular, the field of invention relates to resolving hostnames in a private network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In both public and private computer networks, centralized Domain Name System (DNS) servers are used to locate resources and services on a network. These servers generally store records of hostname-to-IP mappings in a database. Often, the challenge for small and mid-sized businesses that implement a private network is that centralized DNS server set-up and maintenance can be costly and time consuming. Nonetheless, a database of hostname-to-IP mappings is generally necessary for client computers on the private network to connect to local applications on the private network like email, chat, or a database for example.
Despite various techniques currently available to handle hostname resolution, there remains a need for an improved hostname resolution system that does not require a centralized DNS server, that makes use of static IP addresses, and that spans multiple local area network (LAN) segments.